Attacks on Science: The Risks to Evidence-Based Policy
Linda Rosenstock, MD, MPH and
Lore Jackson Lee
Linda Rosenstock is with the School of Public Health, University of California at Los Angeles. Lore Jackson Lee is with the School of Public Health and Health Services, George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Linda Rosenstock, MD, MPH, School of Public Health, University of California at Los Angeles, PO Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772 (e-mail: lindarosenstock{at}ph.ucla.edu).
As government agencies, academic centers, and researchers affiliatedwith them provide an increasing share of the science base forpolicy decisions, they are also subject to efforts to politicizeor silence objective scientific research. Such actions increasinglyuse sophisticated and complex strategies that put evidence-basedpolicy making at risk.
To assure the appropriate use of scientific evidence and theprotection of the scientists who provide it, institutions andindividuals must grow more vigilant against these tactics. Maintainingthe capacity for evidence-based policy requires differentiatingbetween honest scientific challenge and evident vested interestand responding accordingly, building and diversifying partnerships,assuring the transparency of funding sources, agreeing on rulesfor publication, and distinguishing the point where scienceends and policy begins.
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